Fluid pressure actuated cylinder and piston mechanism for flat plate ironing machines



y 5, W49. H. F. BARIFFI 2,475,304

FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED CYLINDER AND PISTON MECHANISM FOR FLAT PLATE IRONING MACHINES Filed May '7; 1945 PISJ. lz

Inventor: Herbert F. BaiF'FI His A't'torne.

Patented July 5, 1949 FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED CYLINDER AND PISTON MECHANISM FOR FLAT PLATE IRONING MACHINES Herbert F. Barifll, Hamden, Conn., asslgnor to- General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 1, 1945, Serial No. 592,473

4 Claims. (01. 38-25) i The present invention relates to clothes ironing or pressing machines of the so-termed flatplate type wherein the material to be ironed or pressed is positioned on a padded buck and then pressed between the buck and a heated shoe, the shoe being heated electrically or otherwise.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine of this type which is simple in structure, reliable in operation, and capable of being manufactured at low cost. and [or a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention'is directed to the following specification and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section and partly diagrammatic of a clothes ironing or pressing machine embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a modified form of valve which may be used in carrying out my invention.

Referring to the drawing, 8 indicates a table or support which may be carried by suitable legs or a suitable framework, not shown. Attached to the under side of the table is a tubular sleeve which is divided by a partition wall 2 into an upper cylinder 3 and a lower cylinder 4. In upper cylinder 3 is a piston 5 which projects above the support or table I and carries a suitable buck 6. Piston 5 is biased against a seat or stop I at the inner or head end of cylinder 3 by a spring 8. In cylinder 4 is a piston 9 which is connected by a piston rod iii to one end of a lever arm ill supported between its ends on a pivot it which in turn may be mounted on the framework of table l. The upper end of lever arm H has an angular portion l2 which carries a suitable shoe l3. Shoe i3 may be heated electrically or in any other suitable manner. Lever arm H is biased to a position wherein shoe I3 is out of alinement with the buck 6 and piston 9 is at the inner end of its stroke, i. e., adjacent to the head end of cylinder 4, by a spring l4 which connects the lower end of lever arm H with a bracket I5 which may be formed integral with the wall of cylinder 4'. In wall 2 is an opening adapted to be closed by check valve l6 fixed on a winged stem I! which winged stem slides in the opening in wall 2 and serves to guide the movements of the valve and keep it in alinement. It is biased to open position by its weight and also by a suitable spring lB positioned between the under side of wall 2 and a button IS on the lower end of stem ll. Extending through the upper end of stem ii is a pin 20 which serves as a stop to limit the opening movement of valve l6. Valve i3, stern II, button l9 and pin 20 are one integral structure which moves as a unit. Spring I8 is of a diameter such that head I6 can move down inside of it. Connecting the head end of cylinder 3 with the outer end of cylinder 4 is a passage 2!. Passage 2| communicates with cylinder 4 at a point such that when piston 9 is at the outer end of its stroke, as shown in dotted lines, the passage 2| is uncovered, thus connecting the outer end of cylinder 4 to the head end of cylinder 3.

Connected to the head end of cylinder 4 is a conduit 22 through which fluid pressure is supplied to the cylinders for actuating the pistons. Any suitable source of fluid pressure may be utilized and it may be controlled in any suitable way. In the present instance. I have shown an arrangement which I now prefer and which has advantages in that it is a unitary construction readily built directly into the ironing machine to form a part of it. In the arrangement shown, conduit 22 is connected to the discharge side 23 of al suitable pump 24, here shown in the form of a gear pump driven by an electric motor 25. The inlet 26 of pump 24 is connected by a conduit 21 to a tank 28 which forms a fluid supply chamber for the pump. Connecting conduit 22 to tank 28 is a by-pass conduit 29 in which is a control valve 30 provided with an operating arm 3|. Connected to operating arm 3| is an operating rod 32 which may lead to a suitable foot or knee controlled pedal. Valve 30 is biased to open position wherein conduit 29 connects conduit 22 to tank 28 by a spring 33 which holds arm 3| against a suitable stop 34. The upper end of tank 28 is provided with a breather opening 35. Preferably, I provide a conduit 36 which connects the discharge side of pump 24 to its inlet side and in such conduit there is an orifice 31 which forms a restricted passage through which the two sides of the pump are connected. The purpose of this restricted orifice, which may be termed a metering orifice, is to act as a relief valve to limit the pressure which may be built up by the pump on its discharge side.

The operation is as follows: Normally the parts stand in the positions shown in full lines in the drawing, spring 8 holding the buck in its downward position wherein piston 5 is against stop 1 and spring l4 holding the shoe l3 out of alinement with the buck 6. In this position of parts,

pivot to bring the shoe. into alinement with the buck. At the beginning of its stroke, piston 8 moves away from button is but valve l8 will be held against its seat by the fluid pressure built up in the cylinder. When shoe It has reached a position wherein it is in line with buck 8, as shown in dotted lines, piston 8 will have uncovered the end of passage 2i which communicates with cylinder 4, admitting fluid pressure through passage 2| to the head end of cylinder 3 to build up the pressure in cylinder 8. When this pressure reaches a predetermined value, valve l8 will be opened, thus connecting the conduit 22 to cylinder 3 through valve l8. Fluid pressure moves buck 8 into engagement with shoe II and will hold it in engagement therewith as long as valve 30 is kept closed.- When the pressing operation is completed, valve 80 is permitted to open, whereupon fluid pressure in cylinder 8 is permitted to escape through valve l8 and conduit 22 and through passage 2i and conduit 22 to tank 28, thus permitting the buck 8 to be lowered due to its weight and to spring 8. At the same time, the fluid pressure in cylinder 4 is released permitting spring It to move shoe I8 back to its full line position wherein it is out of alinement with buck 8. At the end of its movement, piston 8 seats valve 6, thus closing the passage through wall 2. This completes the operation.

In place of the valve l8, as shown in Fig. 1, I may use a valve 38 as shown in Fig. 2 which is biased to its seat by a relatively light spring 38. With this arrangement the valve is held closed normally by the spring. When the pressure is released by valve 30 at the end of a pressing operation valve 38 will be opened by the pressure existing beneath piston 5 becoming greater than that in cylinder 4 as piston 9 approaches or reaches its upper position as shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting piston 5 to move downward. With this arrangement, during the upward movement of piston 8 pressure of the oilin cylinder i above the piston 9 would keep valve 38 closed so that the shoe would be moved away from the buck prior to the buck being lowered. The weight of the buck and the force of spring 8 will eiiect lowering of the buck as soon as they produce suflicient pressure in cylinder 3 to effect opening of valve 38 against the action of spring 39 and the pressure in cylinder 4.

From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised an ironing or pressing machine which is simple in structure and capable of being manufactured at low cost. The construction is especially well adapted for use in small domestic ironing or pressing machines. The pistons and cylinders may be of relatively small diameter and relatively high pressure utilized. This serves to provide a simple, light weight, compact construction. With this arrangement, the motor operates continuously although when valve 80 is open, it runs with very light load. The use or a hydraulic mechanism for actuating the pistons provides a construction wherein the control is relatively simple and wherein the apparatus is relatively quiet in operation.

In accordance with the provisions oi the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by cylinder, 9. piston in the upper cylinder,'a buck supported thereon, a piston in the lower cylinder, 9. pivoted arm connected thereto, a shoe carried by said arm; means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinders to first move the shoe into alinement with the buck and then move the buck into engagement with the shoe, and means controlled by movement of the second-named piston for controlling the supply of fluid to the upper cylinder.

2. In a pressing machine, a table, a tubular sleeve supported directly beneath the table hav-.

ing its upper end presented directly to the underside of the table and having a transverse'wall dividing it into an upper cylinder and a lower cylinder, a piston in the upper cylinder, a buck supported thereon, a piston in the lower cylinder, a pivoted arm connected thereto, a shoe carried by said arm, a conduit through which fluid pressure is supplied to the upper end of the lower cylinder, and a conduit connecting the two cylinders through which fluid pressure is supplied from the lower cylinder to the upper cylinder, the connection of said last-named conduit with the lower cylinder being at a point where it is uncovered by the piston in the lower cylinder when such piston reaches a. position where the shoe is in alinement with the buck.

3. In a pressing machine, a table, a tubular sleeve supported directly beneath the table having its upper end presented directly to the underside of the table and having a transverse wall dividing it into an upper cylinder and a lower cylinder, a piston in the upper cylinder, a buck supported thereon, a piston in the lower cylinder, a pivoted arm connected thereto, a shoe carried by said arm, a conduit through which fluid pressure is supplied to the upper end of the lower cylinder, a conduit connecting the two cylinders through which fluid pressure is supplied from the lower cylinder to the upper cylinder, the connection of said last-named conduit with the lower cylinder being at a point where it is uncovered by the piston in the lower cylinder when such piston reaches a position where the shoe is in alinement with the buck, and a normally closed check valve between the two cylinders biased to closed position by fluid pressure in the lower cylinder and adapted to open when fluid pressure in the upper cylinder reaches a predetermined high value with respect to the fluid pressure in the lower cylinder when the latter is exhausted.

4. In a pressing machine, a table, a tubular sleeve'supported beneath the table, a transverse wall which divides the sleeve into an upper cylin- REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Reeps Jan. 17, 1933 Davis July 25, 1933 McDougall July 3, 1934 Daly Jan. 8, 1935 Malott, Jr. Dec. 10, 1935 Hanney May 12, 1936 Dewey June 9, 1936 Davis June 23, 1936 Oliver May 4, 1937 Neckel Dec. 6, 1938 

